ESSEX COUNTY COLLEGE
Social Sciences Division
PLS 225 – Law Office Management and Field Experience
Course Outline
Course Number & Name: PLS 202 Advanced Legal Research and Writing
Credit Hours: 3.0
Contact Hours: 3.0
Lecture: 3.0
Lab: N/A
Other: N/A
Prerequisites: Grades of “C” or better in PLS 202 and PLS 206
Co-requisites: None
Concurrent Courses: None
Course Outline Revision Date: Fall 2010
Course Description: Students are placed in law-related positions to gain practical experience necessary
for success as legal assistants. Students are required to follow established learning objectives related to
their positions to effect the attainment of specific job competencies. Students are required to attend
routine sessions on campus with their professor to review their work experiences. The course also
examines the role of the paralegal, the Code of Professional Ethics, and other related standards of
proper conduct.
Course Goals: Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to do the following:
1. discuss the codes of professional conduct;
2. identify and describe the legal team;
3. identify, define, and describe legal administration and technology;
4. identify, define, and explain legal ethics and malpractice;
5. identify, describe, and explain the significance of client relations and communication skills;
6. describe and explain law office timekeeping and billing;
7. describe and discuss the significance of client trust funds and law office accounting;
8. describe and explain the process for calendaring, docket control, and case management; and
9. describe and discuss legal marketing.
Measurable Course Performance Objectives (MPOs): Upon successful completion of this course,
students should specifically be able to do the following:
1. Discuss and examine the codes of professional conduct:
1.1 discuss and examine judicial conduct;
1.2 discuss and examine attorney ethical standards; and
1.3 discuss and examine paralegal professionalism
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prepared by L McDonald Carter, Fall 2010
Measurable Course Performance Objectives (MPOs) (continued):
2. Identify and describe the legal team:
2.1 identify and describe roles and responsibilities of employment for a paralegal;
2.2 identify, describe, and discuss the types of law practices; and
2.3 describe law practice organization structures
3. Identify, define, and describe legal administration and technology:
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
explain why legal assistants need an understanding of file and law library management;
explain file management;
describe filing methods and techniques;
describe the significance of ethics involved in filing management;
describe law library management; and
describe law office and law library technology
4. Identify, define, and explain legal ethics and malpractice:
4.1 identify, discuss, and examine ethical and malpractice considerations; and
4.2 identify, discuss and examine conflict of interest
5. Identify, describe, and explain the significance of client relations and communication skills:
5.1 explain why legal assistants need to foster good client relationships and communicate
effectively;
5.2 define, describe, and explain the legal professional’s ethical duty to communicate with clients;
5.3 define, describe, and discuss the legal professional’s client relationships; and
5.4 define, describe, and discuss the importance of communication skills in the legal organization
6. Describe and explain law office timekeeping and billing:
6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4
6.5
6.6
describe and discuss the difference between timekeeping and billing;
explain why legal assistants need to know timekeeping and billing;
describe and discuss the different kinds of legal fee agreements;
explain value billing;
describe, discuss, and explain the ethics involved in timekeeping and billing; and
describe and discuss legal expenses
7. Describe and discuss the significance of client trust funds and law office accounting:
7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4
7.5
7.6
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explain why legal assistants need a basic understanding of law office accounting;
identify, describe, and discuss the significance of the client funds and the trust/escrow accounts;
describe and explain budgeting;
describe the collection process;
describe the significance of internal controls; and
explain why lawyers and non-lawyers cannot share fees
prepared by L McDonald Carter, Fall 2010
Measurable Course Performance Objectives (MPOs) (continued):
8. Describe and explain the process for calendaring, docket control, and case management:
8.1
8.2
8.3
8.4
8.5
8.6
8.7
8.8
discuss and examine calendaring, docket control, and case management;
discuss and explain the process of scheduling appointments;
discuss and explain the process of scheduling hearings and court dates;
discuss and examine the manual docket control systems;
identify the various types of computerized docket control systems;
discuss the significance of computerized legal case management;
identify, discuss, and examine advanced case management features; and
discuss and examine the docket cycle
9. Describe and discuss legal marketing:
9.1 describe the primary components of a legal marketing plan; and
9.2 analyze a legal marketing plan
Methods of Instruction: Instruction will consist of a combination of on-the-job training and
classroom/seminar meetings that may employ any of the following instructional methods: legal case
reviews, lectures, group activities, role play, oral presentations, document drafting, essays, research
assignments, films, cable, news, websites, television programs, field trips, and community outreach
projects.
Outcomes Assessment: Checklist rubrics are used to evaluate on-the-job professional performance as
well as all classroom/seminar non-test type assessment instruments (e.g., role play scenarios that range
from preparing for an employment interview through actually working as a paralegal and interviewing a
client) for the presence of course objectives. Data collected will be analyzed to provide direction for the
improvement of program instruction, viability of class assignments, relevancy of assigned course
materials, and evaluation of instructional time spent on specific topics.
Course Requirements: All students are required to:
1.
Maintain regular and prompt attendance to all class sessions and at the professional site.
2.
Conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times according to the National Federation of
Paralegals Associations, Inc. Model Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility and Guidelines
for Enforcement.
3.
Complete homework assignments and quizzes (if applicable).
4.
Complete all written and oral exercises (scored grading) inside and outside of class as assigned.
5.
Complete the Midterm and Final Assessment Activities (e.g., paper, presentation, and/or project).
6.
Voluntarily participate in class discussions, class exercises, and group projects.
7.
Complete all assessment activities as scheduled.
8.
Follow any specific class requirements mandated by the instructor.
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Methods of Evaluation: Final course grades will be computed as follows:
% of
final course grade
Grading Components

Attendance/Class Participation
0 – 5%
Attendance points will be computed based on the ratio of the
number of days attending the course during a regular semester
(i.e., 28 contact days). A similar procedure will be used to
determine participation points.

Notebook containing Course Handouts, Program Summaries
and Table of Contents
5 – 10%
The notebook is a practical exercise designed to assess
students’ abilities to organize large volumes of information and
allows students to create a reference source of all material
related to course objectives for themselves.

Topic Sentence Outlines
5 – 10%
Topic sentence outlines are practical exercises designed to
enhance students’ reading comprehension and study skills.

On-Site Job Performance
70 – 85%
The site supervisor in conjunction with the instructor evaluates
the student’s professionalism and performance during 240hours on-the-job training experience for the mastery of course
objectives.

Extra Credit Opportunities
5 – 10%
o Voter registration – The student should provide written
evidence of participation in the electoral process.
o Notary Public – Students are encouraged to research,
process, and complete a notary public application for
approval to include on their resumes to enhance their
marketability.
o Membership in Paralegal Association of New Jersey (PANJ) –
Students are encouraged to join the Paralegal Association of
New Jersey to include on their resume to enhance their
marketability.
NOTE: The instructor will determine (as appropriate) the specific component(s) appropriate for the
course and provide specific weights which lie in the above-given ranges at the beginning of the
semester.
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Academic Integrity: Dishonesty disrupts the search for truth that is inherent in the learning process and
so devalues the purpose and the mission of the College. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not
limited to, the following:

plagiarism – the failure to acknowledge another writer’s words or ideas or to give proper credit
to sources of information;

cheating – knowingly obtaining or giving unauthorized information on any test/exam or any
other academic assignment;

interference – any interruption of the academic process that prevents others from the proper
engagement in learning or teaching; and

fraud – any act or instance of willful deceit or trickery.
Violations of academic integrity will be dealt with by imposing appropriate sanctions. Sanctions for acts
of academic dishonesty could include the resubmission of an assignment, failure of the test/exam,
failure in the course, probation, suspension from the College, and even expulsion from the College.
Student Code of Conduct: All students are expected to conduct themselves as responsible and
considerate adults who respect the rights of others. Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. All
students are also expected to attend and be on time for all class meetings. No cell phones or similar
electronic devices are permitted in class. Please refer to the Essex County College student handbook,
Lifeline, for more specific information about the College’s Code of Conduct and attendance
requirements.
NOTE: Students shall conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times. See National Federation
of Paralegals Associations, Inc. Model Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility and Guidelines for
Enforcement.
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prepared by L McDonald Carter, Fall 2010
Course Content Outline: based on the text Practical Law Office Management, 3rd edition, by Brent D
Roper; published by Thomson Delmar Learning.
Unit
Topics to be Covered
1
Introduction & Course Overview – The legal team, law practices, and law firm
governance; introduction of the legal team; roles and responsibilities and
employment of a paralegal; types of law practices; law practice organization
structures
2
Legal Administration And Technology – Introduction; legal administration
principles; functions of a legal administration; practice management and
leadership; controlling financial management; human resources; planning;
market management; organizing policies, and systems; facilities management;
office services management; technology and information systems management
3
Ethics and Malpractice – Introduction; importance of legal ethics and
professional responsibility; the unauthorized practice of law; competence and
diligence; conflict of interest
4
Client Relations and Communication Skills – Introduction; why do legal
assistants need to foster good client relationships and communicate
effectively?; ethical duty to communicate with clients; client relationships;
communication skills
5
Legal Fees, Timekeeping, and Billing – Introduction; difference between
timekeeping and billing; the reasons why legal assistants need to know
timekeeping and billing; kinds of legal fee agreements; value billing; the ethics
of timekeeping and billing; legal expenses; timekeeping; billing
6
Client Trust Funds and Law Office Accounting – Introduction; why legal
assistants need a basic understanding of law office accounting; client funds –
trust/escrow accounts; budgeting; collection/income; internal controls; the
reasons why lawyers and non-lawyers cannot share fees
7
Calendaring, Docket Control, and Case Management – Introduction;
calendaring, docket control, and case management; appointments; hearings and
court dates; ethical and malpractice considerations; conflict of interest; manual
docket control systems ; types of computerized docket control systems;
overview of computerized legal case management; advanced case management
features; the docket cycle
8
Legal Marketing – Introduction; the legal marketing plan
9
File and Law Library Management; the reasons why legal assistants need an
understanding of file and law library management; introduction to file
management; filing methods and techniques; filing management and ethics;
introduction to law library management; technology and the law library
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prepared by L McDonald Carter, Fall 2010
NOTE: In PLS 225, the instructor must cover the 9 units listed above minimally in any reasonable order
throughout the duration of the semester/term. Student mastery of these units will be enhanced by the
on-the-job training experiences. Suggested assessment activities to be performed at midterm and at the
conclusion of the course are listed below.
Suggested Midterm Assessment Activities – Prepare topic sentence outlines of each chapter in the first
half of the textbook including answers to questions in each chapter; require a midterm evaluation from
the legal site supervisor (i.e., third party assessment); prepare written draft skits for role play and taping
that address the paralegal’s preparation for employment from preparing for the interview and being
interviewed and employed to the client interview; examine the code of professional ethics and other
related standards of proper conduct
Suggested Final Assessment Activities – Prepare topic sentence outlines of each chapter in the second
half of the textbook including answers to questions in each chapter; require a final evaluation from the
legal site supervisor (i.e., third party assessment); finalize written skits and practice them for taping that
address the paralegal’s preparation for employment from preparing for the interview and being
interviewed and employed to the client interview; examine the code of professional ethics and other
related standards of proper conduct
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prepared by L McDonald Carter, Fall 2010